


Black: The Color of Despair

by orphan_account



Series: Red & Black: The story of Eponine Thenardier [1]
Category: Les Misérables (2012)
Genre: ABC Cafe / Red and Black, Alternate Universe - Eponine Survives, Alternate Universe - Javert Survives, Blood and Gore, Character Death, Colors, F/M, Face Slapping, First/Last Kiss, Fist Fights, French Revolution, Graphic Description of Corpses, Hatred, Male-Female Friendship, Multi, Scents & Smells, Scratching, Unrequited Love, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-05
Updated: 2014-07-05
Packaged: 2018-02-07 12:25:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1898982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Instead of accepting the romance of Cosette and Marius, Eponine provokes Cosette in the street, causing a fight that ends in death. When Javert finally intervenes he finds that the young Cosette has died and goes off after Eponine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Black: The Color of Despair

**~~~~**

**Errand D'Eponine**

**~~~~**

"Eponine, find her for me." He begged me, now on his knees. Only I wish he were demanding something else of me than to find my childhood...um...aquaintance?

"What will you give me?" I asked him, beckoning for him to stand instead of getting his slightly fancy clothes wet in the muddy puddles of our streets. His fingers knotted together as he continued to beg on his knees, "Anything! Anything you want Ponine!" I could hear desperation in his deep voice.

I laughed, having a grand idea of what I wanted from him. "Got you all excited now? But god! what do you see in her? Aren't you all delighted now?---" He reached into his pocket and pulled ten francs and two sous out, he pushed them at me---"No, I don't want your money monsieur!"

"Eponine, do this for me, but take care of how you go, don't let your father know...Ponine! I'm lost until she's found!" He was still on his knees and already his dress pants were mudstained. "Get up off your knees Marius! I know my way around the city, and I will find your precious...Cosette. Just get up for god's sake!" I whispered at him, we didn't need to earn the attention of Inspector Javert again.

He sheepishly got up off of his knees and dipped his head. "Sorry, Ponine, I know how you feel about that kind of thing...and who is this...Cosette?"

"Nobody, Marius, I will take you to her once I find her dwelling. Adieu." Before he ask anything else, I took off in the direction that Cosette and the man that had accompanied her had fled. Past my little "hole-in-the-wall" home, down a few quiet sidestreets to a small housing unit.

I looked into window after window until dusk made the city dim, until finally I found the house in which she dwelled.

My father and his party of drunk men made their way toward me, father, with his curly red hair sticking in every direction possible. "Father!" I shouted, "I found their house! I found Cosette!" This sentence made him raise a dirt-covered to his chapped lips and make a quiet shushing sound.

He must be running from Javert again, after all, Javert didn't take kindly to what he called "trash" on the streets. The heavy footfalls of a horse could be heard nearby, father put a finger to his lips again, "be quiet or you shall not like what will happen Eponine..."

I whispered now, "I found where the bad man is hiding Cosette! In this house pa!"

"Hush child!" he whispered hoarsely, "are you trying to get us arrested?" he was eyeing me with drunk hatred, obviously he had done something against the law. Again.

"Just listen to me!"

"No! Be quiet for once!"

Father cowered against the gate making desperate shushing sounds at me.

I frowned at him, "If you don't listen, I'll scream!" at this his eyes widened and he made more shushing sounds, coughing twice before I parted my own chapped lips and let out a deep shriek.

He gasped and slapped me across my filthy cheeks, screaming, "What have you done! Stupid child!" He slapped me a second time before leading his party down the street, the footfalls of the horse echoed down the alley toward them. I rubbed my cheek with a severly calloused hand and allowed a few hot tears slip down them before I walked back from whence I came:  
Marius's House.

I shivered and hugged my arms close to myself, the chill of the night bit at my skin through the skimpy rag dress I wore.  I felt eyes following me but I didn't care, I had to get all the way across the city before midnight.  

Making slow progress, I made it halfway there before I was completely engulfed in goosebumps and shivers. The second half was traveled slowly, shivering with teeth clattering fast, slowly passing lit windows. My fellow poor citizens leaned against buildings here and there. 

At least they were wrapped in something...

The silhouette of a man stood in front of where Marius's home should be.

When I got close enough I realized that it was actually Marius who stood outside, he greeted me with warm words that distracted me from the chill that invaded my soul and left a bitter taste upon my lips.

"Ponine! You're so cold! Come in." He led me into his dwelling and tossed one of his quilts at me.

"Did you find her? Did you find the girl, Ponine?" he asked eagerly, knotting his hands together against his relatively non-chapped lips.

I nodded, "I have found her Marius, as you asked me to do, I will meet you in the town square tomorrow and take you to her home in the northern part of Paris. But I want my favor in return..." He looked a bit confused, but made the reasonable choice to not ask any questions.

"Of course, Ponine."

"We can discuss it later Marius, I have to be leaving soon..." I hugged the quilt to myself before beginning to unwrap it from around myself. Marius stopped me with a hand gesture, "keep it. You need it more than I do." I stopped unwrapping the quilt and hugged it tighter to myself.

Marius smiled, "I can walk you back to your house...home...if you want me to?" 

I nodded, and allowed him to lead me out the door of his house,down the street, past the poor souls leaning against the random buildings. 

It had to be past midnight when we finally arrived at my "hole-in-the-wall" home. My mother was the one who greeted me, her blonde curls had long since turned a bit more grey than their former golden splendor. "Eponine! Where have you been? I was so worried about you dear..."

"It's okay mum, I'm okay."

I turned back to Marius, blushing softly, "Thank you Marius, Remember to meet me in the town square at noon so I can show you where the girl is." I smiled at him and waved a swift goodbye.

Marius waved back at me before turning around and making his way back toward his home.

"Goodbye!" 

**~~~~**

**Dans Ma Vie**

**~~~~**

The sweet smells of the marketplace reached my nostrils, consisting of fresh bread, spices, flowers, and new clothes. These things are too much for me to ever have, but it was always nice to savor the smells and colors of them. That was how I used things anyway...

A woman aproached me slowly.

"What a pretty bracelet that is!" She exclaimed at me, gesturing to my wrist.

I looked down at the weaved bracelet that I made with a rainbow of stolen thread when I was quite young, She licked her chapped lips and looked at me. Asking a silent question: _May I look at it?_

I nodded to her and streched my wrist out to her, she took my hand in her equally dirty fingers, examining the bracelet.

"How much for the bracelet?" She asked.

"Four francs. Unless you want two?" I held out my other wrist, on which was one that was only in reds and pinks instread of a rainbow. She examined that one as well, licking her chapped lips again.

She seemed to waver between them both before finally deciding. "I'll take both." She dropped eight francs into my palms and curtsied, seizing the bracelets from my wrists and disappearing quickly.

Smiling, i continued my way to the town square, my heart exploding with joy.

_Eight francs! I have to tell Marius about this!_ I thought happily, until of course when I remembered he was only pretending to be poor.

I arrived in the town square, observing from the shadows as Javert mounted his horse and ran off after something...someone 

Marius was also in the square, decked in a beige coat that was completely buttoned up and cream dress pants, his dark brown hair disheveled and boyish. He looked poor, I had to give that to him, it was the dirt he smeared on his clothes and cheeks that sold it, not to mention the old and rattiness of the coat.

He strode across the square, avoiding the salespeople who had wandered here from the marketplace, he was walking slightly in my direction, but also slightly away, Javert had returned and was watching him with his beautiful dark eyes.

Marius was aware of Javert's eyes, I could tell because of his stiff facial expression, the expression reminded me of the color navy, somehow. And the expression that Javert made was always glued to his round face, yet it was a rainbow of different colors instead of one. 

Javert's eyes swept the square until we came eye-to-eye. My stomach dropped one thousand miles as we stared at each other.

_He recognizes me! No!_

He slowly dismounted the horse and started my way. Already too close, I could hear the subtle "clink" of the spurs on his boots. Closer. Closer. Closer.

Javert now stood about three feet away from me, I could smell his distinctive scent easily, and it was slightly threatening. His beautiful dark eyes were cold.

"I recognize that you belong to that gang of street trash. Am I wrong madame?" His deep voice sent a wave of fear down my spine. I shook my head "no" at his accusation.

He dipped his head, "Truly I am sorry for the...mistake, carry on."

Javert proceeded back to his horse, an embarassed flush across his cheeks. Marius, now given a chance to proceed as well, did, making his way past the great black horse. 

Marius was now within three feet of me, silent.

"Marius, are you ready to go and see your Cos-girl?" I tried to smile at him, but a black flame had consumed my heart, making it difficult to do so.

Marius nodded eagerly, his stiffness and confusion completely disappearing. A deep blush cut through the filth on his face, it made me happy to see him happy, but the black flame stinged ferociously and cut off my breath for more than just a few little seconds. My throat was on fire now, and it hurt me.

Q: Was it jealousy that did this to me?   
A: Undoubtably so.

We set off toward the northern part of Paris, under the secure gaze of Javert we cut through alleys and backstreets, past my hole-in-the-wall home, past a great number of houses.

To Cosette and monsieur La Maire's house.

I stood off to the side as Marius inspected the gate, watching in confused jealous agony as his face lit up.

He gasped, making a face that I had only seen him make when he looked upon that awful girl, Cosette! Always Cosette now! Always!

No doubt in my mind that it was her.

**~~~~**

**Un Coeur Rempli D'Amour**

**~~~~**

Marius all but kneeled before the gate and presented a ring to the girl. He asked her name, telling her that he was lost afterward. Black flames had long consumed my heart now, leaving a bitter taste on my lips.

As they professed their love for each other, I slowly plotted many horrible things for Cosette.

Slowly, a plan began to surface in my mind:

_Using the eight francs from the old woman and some savings, I will buy a decent knife. After sundown in one day I will approach her on the street..._

You can guess where it went from there.

Marius showed no signs of leaving, so I ducked into the shadows, heading toward the marketplace. The sooner the better.

In the marketplace, the familiar scents of clothing and food calmed me. It was still dark though. I knew a good place to buy a knife with only eight francs, there was a man who lurked near a coat stand who sold various items for only a few sous each. The man was desperate.

The silhouette of a man leaned against a cart, the cart was about three meters from the coat stand and was actually very inconspicuous.

Quietly, I made my way past Javert and his men, recieving a few looks from them but nothing more. The man approached me silently, whispering: "Over here, is the items to see!"

I followed him to the small cart, eyeing a glint through a few layers of fabric-like things. I pushed aside these things and pulled the sourse of the glint from the cart, admiring it in the moonlight. It was a 5-inch blade with a gilded handle, I pulled the eight francs from my dress pocket. "How much is this, Monsieur?"

"Two francs," He sighed, "anything else you want?"

I looked through the cart, finding a little gold necklace. "How much?" He eyed the necklace before shrugging and gesturing with his hand for me to keep it. "Thank you, monsieur," I said, pulling two francs from the eight and handing it to him.

 

Outside my hole-in-the-wall of a home, I sat on the ground polishing my knife. My mother was watching me with accusing eyes. "What is that knife for, Eponine?" she licked her chapped lips.

"Just for self-defence mum, the streets will be more dangerous once the barricades are set up. You know this." I continued polishing my knife, humming a song that I heard outside the ABC cafe. Mother wasn't sold, "Are you sure, Eponine, you've never spent that much time with a knife...it's strange..."

"Yes mum, I'm sure."

"Okay then, come in when you're ready."

I sang the words boredly, finishing the polishing and reaching for a piece of metal to sharpen it with. I was going to polish it again after the sharpening, it was thorough, but filled my time.

"Red: The blood of angry men...

Black: The dark of ages past..."

I could hear steps behind me, but didn't turn around. From the rhythm of the steps I guessed it was Marius, he sang along like he actually knew the song.

He did.

"Red: A world about to dawn!

Black: The night that ends at last!"

I turned around and sheathed my newly sharpened knife, nodding in greeting to Marius's lovestruck face. I was still a bit mad at him, but didn't say anything about it. I tried to act happy.

Marius frowned at me, "You were gone when Cosette had to go back inside. Why?"

I laughed, "Public displays of affection make me sick Marius, go away, I'm busy." I polished my knife slowly, trying to keep it hidden from him. I was afraid he would guess my plan and ignore me for the rest of my life, what a short time that would be anyway, still...

Marius looked down at his feet,"I'm sorry, Ponine, I didn't know that it did."

_He really believed that? I got to work on my sarcasm..._

"Don't worry about it, Marius, you didn't know...just...I'm a bit busy at the moment, can I talk to you later? Maybe _after_ you start noticing things about me." I turned away from him, making no effort now to hide my knife. Marius gasped, I could hear his footsteps leading away.

Why must my life be so difficult?

I sheathed my now-perfect knife and put it in my pocket, along with the little gold necklace and the rag. I walked into my former inn home and collapsed into a chair, Mother had somehow afforded to put some bread and apples on our table I was amazed.  "How did you afford this, mum?"

"I sold some of my things..."

"What did you sell?" I was looking about the house now, nothing was out of place.

"A few of my weaved bracelets, why?"

"Just asking, mum," I sighed, walking toward my room. I could feel the weight of tonight's strain, Marius's hurt, sleeplessness, plans of murder, everything.

I collapsed onto the floor, pulling Marius's quilt over myself and closing my eyes, the weight I felt kept them shut, and soon, I was asleep.

**~~~~**

**Sur Mon Propre**

**~~~~**  

Feelings of anger blinded me like the color black, and soon, my beautiful blade would sink into flesh...

I hid in a dark alley across from Cosette's dwelling, knife poised for combat. The pose made my arm ache, but I didn't care, this feeling of power was rushing through my veins like a drug. 

She waltzed into her front garden, making short strides to the gate...

She unlocked the gate...

She walked through...

She closed the gate...

Time to attack...right now.

I rushed forward with the knife up in the air.

Cosette was quick to react, grabbing my wrist and delivering a swift kick to my abdomen. I was breathless for a moment, on the ground, She watched me.

I lunged for her ankles and sliced them open with my knife, she squealed and delivered another kick to the air. I was behind her now, with the knife at her throat. "P-please, d-d-don't kill m-me..." She begged, "P-please..."

The knife cut across the soft skin of her neck, and blood trickled out in waves. She gasped, then fell to the ground. I found my hands searching her pockets and taking her jewelry as well, by an impulse to make a trophy of this, though Marius' love was already a trophy in it's own.

I found a necklace, a note, ten francs, and I took the pretty violet scarf she had lost while being attacked. I slipped them into the pocket of my ragged dress to find that I could hear Javert's horse approaching.

I ducked into the dark alley and began to run through, passing the man from the market and a woman. Javert's footfalls were not too far behind. 

"Murderer!" He shouted, "Get back here!" His baton was raised in the air, and he was past the man and his lady-friend.

There was a ladder at the end of the alley, and as soon as we met, I began to climb up the building. Javert was still about ten yards from me.I made quick progress and found myself on the roof of a factory, Javert was on the ladder.

I hopped from rooftop to rooftop to escape him, but soon we were approaching the harbor, and I had reached the last building before the water. I looked down at the navy spray and dove in.

The water was cold, and sent my ten francs to the floor of it. Javert was screaming from the rooftop.

Taking this chance, I began to swim back to the harbor, which was more wading but swimming.

He stood on the shore, rapier posed.

-Sorry for such a short chapter, but really that was the ideal ending for me.-

 


End file.
